A deep gratitude to all my sponsors, clients and most of all, RA followers for the past 14 years on my blog and social media. It has been an interesting journey 😀

 

U.S. Ambassador to Brunei, His Excellency Craig Allen in his opening remarks this morning at Brilliance Hall at Concepts Computer, Kiulap

It was a special occasion for both Concepts Technologies and Mircosoft (B) Sdn Bhd as the U.S. Ambassador to Brunei, His Excellency Craig Allen, was invited as a guest of honour in the event themed “Accelerating Competitiveness among SMEs with Technology”. The objective of this event is to boost up business productivity through technology targeting SMES in Brunei Darussalam.

His Excellency gave an opening remarks and joked how he wasn’t much of an IT person but praised the efforts Microsoft (Brunei) and Concepts Technologies for reaffirming the strengths between a local company and a US brand, Microsoft.

As you can see that Microsoft is the market leader in Brunei in terms of their operating system in computers. I’m pretty sure the same can be said for worldwide. I grew up using Microsoft and though for the past eights years that I’ve been using Appel computers, it didn’t stop me using Microsoft products on Apple.

Hence, I can see how Microsoft can empower SMEs to make improvements to the business of managing departments including managing infrastructure and services. So it was good of Concepts Technologies and Microsoft (B) to invite the local SMEs in attending this morning session as they are presented an added value session where it includes a time of sharing on Microsoft licensing solutions in assessing risk, optimizing productivity and cutting costs.

As a Microsoft distributor, one of their roles is to ensure SMEs are educated on the right track to adopt premium level technology. Just imagine business software like Office 365 equips organization in having the tools to overcome the challenges of executing on strategy every day and prospering in today’s economic down turn.

He hopes for more US collaboration with Brunei in regards to SMEs from different industries

A token of appreciation from Vincent Pao to the guest of honour

Haniza Zakariya, Managing Director of Microsoft (Brunei)

During the press conference

Also present were Vincent Pao, Group CEO of Concepts Group of Companies and Haniza Zakariya, Managing Director of Microsoft (B) Sdn Bhd.

Haniza shared in her speech about how Microsoft can empower businesses by making a technology a business advantage. With Microsoft, your business can increase in efficiency and annual revenue. You will have the capabilities to create jobs almost twice as fast as other small businesses. She shared that you need the technology that can grow right along with your business and the freedom to work the way you and your team work best.

His Excellency Craig Allen shared that Brunei has introduced a number of initiatives to demonstrate its commitment to local entrepreneurs and not to be reliant on hydrocarbon exports. He is full of praise on the Brunei Government’s initiative in launching a statutory body, DARe (Darussalam Enterprise) in supporting the local SMES. He even announced that there will be three representatives from Brunei who are invited to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) which will be hosted by President Obama in Silicon Valley in June 2016 (lucky them).

His Excellency also touched on Microsoft’s Intelligent Cloud and Windows 10 where it enables SMES to build a cloud-based IT ecosystem that enables employees to stay productive o matter where they are working from.

After the speech, His Excellency with Haniza and Vincent held a quick press conference for the media before heading for a quick tour of the premise of Concepts Computer.

His Excellency touring around Concepts Computer

Checking out the DXRacer chairs

Group photo with the On-Time associates

 

The star of the day – Black Pepper Long Chicken

BURGER KING ®’s realm does not just dominate the beefier regions of the map, It successfully colonized the land of chicken as well. Today Burger King has officially launched the new Black Pepper Long Chicken under its limited time only menu.

A great tasting sandwich with our very own black pepper sauce, topped with crisp lettuce and finished with creamy mayo on our Chicken Royale Patty. If you prefer to have cheese on your sandwich, you can also request an add-on American Cheese to your sandwich.

The Black Pepper Long Chicken is available at only $6.90 for the meal and $4.90 for the sandwich only.

Burger King Brunei would also like to introduce the new delicious Milo Float and Cheesy fries under our Starbuys menu, The items in our Starbuys menu range from as low as $1.60.

The Milo float is available at only $2.20 and you can also asked for a ‘change to‘ from your original meal drink to a milo float for additional $2.00.

Our Cheesy Fries is available at only $2.50 Regular and $3.00 Large. You can also asked for a ‘change to’ from your original meal fries to cheesy fries for an extra $1 only.

For further updates on Burger King® Brunei, visits our Instagram page @burgerkingbrunei and Facebook at www.facebook.com/bkbrunei.

The Milo Float

 

Don’t forget to pen this date on the upcoming Financial Funfair at Jerudong Park Colonnade on 22nd May next weekend as part of National Savings Day 2016

 

Mr. Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, Alice Chan, Chief Financial Controller of Concepts Computer with the senior management and associates of Concepts Computer at yesterdays’ open house celebration

Yee Sang with the senior management of Concepts Computer

It’s always fun and heart warming to attend Concepts Computer open house in conjunction with Chinese New Year. For many years, it was held at the inside the premise of the shop. This year, it’s something special. The newly room Brillance Hall have many purposes on the second floor of Concepts Computer and one of the purposes is to stage events such as open houses. Let’s not forget the humble leader of Concepts Computer, Mr. Vincent Pao, whom I have known for many years.

Many turned up for the lunch hour period of Concepts Computer open house and Mr. Pao had special Yee Sang toasts for different organisations. I thought that was a nice touch to recognise the people that have played a part in Concepts Computer success.

Also invited to the event were members of the media, Brunei-Muara Wushu Association, Foo Chow Association and InfoCom Federation Brunei (IFB), Progresif Cellular and many more.

Thank you again, Mr. Pao and the management team of Concepts Computer for the wonderful hospitality. May your business prosper to greater heights and reaching newer milestones.

Yee Sang with members of the media

Yee Sang with relatives and close friends

Yee Sang with Brunei-Muara Wushu Association

Sheikh Hj Abas, chairman of Infocom Federation Brunei, with Concepts Computer senior management.

Mr. Pao always taking good care of the media for many years and one of the reasons why I love working with him and his team. Keep it up!!

A strong crowd yesterday at Concepts Computer open house

 

The body can take it. I’m always worried about my health status as I’m not getting any younger. The monkey mind always have its way. Sometimes I just think too much unnecessarily. But all is good. I just recovered from a fever and cough, battling them for a week at least (Thanks Singapore for that). I feel I’m in the mood to blog once more and get the ball rolling.

Thank you once again to my friends and readers for the wishes a few days ago. I tend not to celebrate it and just treat it like any other day. A good surprise lunch and an evening cake surprise were my highlights of the day (thank you, Sandy, Pranika and Ciara). I had an interesting gift from Aron Tan’s Studio – a picture frame of Darth Vader. Awesome!!! Thanks JT for the nice gesture. I spent my day in a relaxed manner, playing tennis and heading to OGDC for an OTTERS meeting.

A special gift from JT and Aron Tan’s Studio. Love it to bits. Thank you very much.

My evening cake surprise at OTTERS. Thank you, Ciara, for the thoughtful gesture!

Another sneaky plan from my buddies (Sandy, Pranika and friends) as my simple lunch turned out to be slightly crowded

We had lunch at Pastamania the other day

Thanks guys for the treat

Wrap in a Box. For your info, Wrap in a Box has relocated to Setia Kenangan II. They sell pretty interesting items especially for the children and newborns. So do pay them a visit. I kinda like how the new shops are popping here and there especially at Setia Kenangan II. Exact location is Unit E7. They sell items like baby strollers, bags, umbrellas, items and many more. So don’t forget to drop by the newly re-opened @wrapinabox (instagram)

Wrap in a Box now relocated at Setia Kenangan II (near Regent Square)


Day of Action. It’s gonna be a special day coming Sunday, 10th January 2016. Why? Brunei will celebrate the International Volunteer Day (IVD) through the campaign called “Day of Action”. This campaign is initiated by the Department of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in collaboration with the local NGOs and this campaign will help to promote the spirit of volunteerism through community development activities. The event will be held at Pusat Belia in the capital.

Among the activities that will take place include soup kitchen, cleaning campaigns of public spaces including mosques, housing areas and beaches, renovation projects and so on. The public is also invited to make their donations on this day. Donations can come in the form of diapers, household necessities, school necessities, sandals, hand washing soap, recyclable items and also a blood donation drive, which will all take place in Pusat Belia. The public can still register before 9 January (tomorrow). For more information about the Day of Action, visit bit.do/DayofActionBN and for any enquiries, email dayofactionbn@gmail.com or call 8626588 (Khairunnisa). You can also check out their updates on IG with #dayofactionBN hashtag.

The meeting with all the NGOs chaired by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports recently. Image courtesy of Iqbal Damit.

Netflix. Woohooo.. Finally Netflix is available in Brunei Darussalam. I used to stream on Netflix using a VNP accessory which is an additional cost. For those who are unfamiliar of Netflix, it is a like media and TV provider, streaming TV shows and movies with a flat fee rate on a monthly basis. Now I can watch my favourite TV shows and movies online. Of course, it won’t stop me to collect blu-rays but with Netflix, I will be able to watch my shows anytime, anyplace. This would be a direct competition to Astro, the only TV cable provider in Brunei Darussalam.

The availability of Netflix would mean more usage of the internet in a long run. TelBru will definitely benefit from this and this will also generate more TelBru subscribers to take advantage of Netflix offers. Am I gonna subscribe for Netflix? Definitely. Starting at US$7.99 ($11.48) for the basic package or opt for the standard and premium packages which are US$9.99 ($14.35) and US$11.99 ($17.22) respectively. So enjoy Netflix, peeps!! It’s definitely a game changer in how we appreciate TV shows and movies.

One of my favourite shows currently. Highly recommended and now available on Netflix.

CNY deals at Concepts Computer. It’s the time of the year where Concepts Computer offers bundle packages in conjunction with the Chinese New Year for the Year of the Monkey. The promotion deal is the “2 is better than 1” promotion which was a big hit recently. What can you expect from the packages? Well, there are some accessories from Logitech (speakers and handheld laser presenters), Acer smart devices, Microsoft Office software, power banks, HDD portable storage, Epson printing solution and many more.

For me, I can’t wait for the official launch of Predator Acer series, a game changer to bring the best in the gaming world. Concepts Computer will be bringing 11 Predator models ranging from desktops to notebooks to tablets. I’ve seen the specs and they are just “Wowww”. The official launch is slated near the end of January.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer (4th from left) with the associates of Concepts Computer holding the “2 is better than 1” hampers available for customers. Do drop by their showroom

The new range of Acer Predator series to be launched this month. The reviews have been strong in this one.

Hybrid Movement. Caption taken from their @hybrid_movement IG. Announcing our official hybrid movement grand opening happening this Sunday 10.01.2016 from 12pm – 7pm || This is your chance to drop in, say hello and see what we have to offer to all future hybrids ???????? Hybrid Movement Gym address:

Jalan Menglait, Simpang 51
One Menglait Industrial Park
Unit B26, Menglait

Congratulations also to Darren Chai (owner of Hybrid Movement) and Vanessa on their wedding last weekend. Oh, there will be early bird promotion as well for the first 30 registrants during their grand opening.

Opening this Sunday

The map to Hybrid Movement

Shooting Stars. They have been making a name for themselves – to bring the basics and the love of the sports of basketball in Brunei Darussalam. The man behind the scene, Ken Han (happy belated bro), has been working tirelessly to promote the sport to young kids especially and the organisation has been involved with a lot of charity work by providing workshops for the Special Olympics team last year. Ken’s philosophy of “one kid at a time” had made a difference to the youths and gaining positive feedback from parents. He couldn’t have achieved it with his team, consisting of mentors and coaches.

Now they are back to training again opening slots for “Social beginners” of all ages this January every Saturday starting 9th January at Fitness Zone Kiulap from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. Please do not hesitate to welcome any of your interested friends or family members into SSB basketball family with our friendly coaches who will take you through the basics of basketball week by week! It is also a good time to perhaps, to bond with your family and friends! Contact ???? 7290011 for more information regarding our basketball programmes! You can follow them on @shootingstarsbn IG for updates too.

Ken Han (2nd from left sitting down) with the team from Shooting Stars BN

Any takers?

Breakfast at BK. Now Burger King (Brunei) is serving breakfast from 7am to 11:30am. You can choose from the Breakfast Platter and Croissan’wiches from the menu. The breakfast starts tomorrow onwards at all the Burger King branches.

Recently Burger King also feted awards for the staff of Burger King in the “Coca Cola Upsize Challenge”. This was organised with Burger King (Brunei) and Coca-Cola Brunei in the hope of improving the productivity as well as the enthusiasm of the staff. Siti Hajar Ishak from KB branch was the top winner, winning $500 worth of cash prizes and a certificate. Gladys B Ang Poh came second with $300 worth of cash prize and a certificate while Nuramal Zahidah Roslan came third with $200 worth of cash prize and a certificate. Keep up the great work, guys!! And I miss my taro dosage…

Breakfast now available at Burger King outlets

Siti Hajar Ishak (left) receiving her prize and certificate from Ryan Law, Regional Sales Manger of Coca-Cola. Image taken by Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer (4th from left) with the associates of Concepts Computer holding the “2 is better than 1” hampers available for customers. Do drop by their showroom

 

Check out the different range of hampers (2 in 1) ideal for CNY corporate gifts.

Press release. To celebrate Chinese New Year for the Year of the Monkey, Concepts Computer will be extending their “2 is Better than 1” promo, where a purchase of 2 separate, selected products can qualify customers for better prices. Also, the good response from our customers regarding the “2 is Better than 1” promo and also our other promos like “Back to School” and “Year End” is also one of the main reason we are extending “2 is Better than 1”. The products under the “2 is Better than 1” promo includes computer accessories from Logitech like speakers and handheld laser presenters, Acer smart devices, Microsft Office software, Epson printing solutions, powerbanks, external storage, and much, much more.

When asked regarding the future of Concepts Computer in the local IT Retail industry in Brunei Darussalam for 2016 and for the Year of the Monkey, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, said, “In my point of view, the IT Retail business in Brunei Darussalam is more challenging nowadays, with savvy consumers using the internet and other sources to keep up-to-date regarding IT technological advances, retailers need to focus more on providing better services for customers.” He continued, “Retailers will need to be more creative and more innovative to respond to the ever changing needs of consumers in the Year of the Monkey, to help them grow, not only in terms of physical size but also in terms of their capabilities.” When asked regarding how Concepts Computer as a whole would welcome customers in the Year of the Monkey, “When it comes to Concepts Computer, I always lead with a simple statement, ‘We must always do a good job.’”

Also present during the event, Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive at Concepts Computer added, “We are extending the “2 is Better than 1” promo as a nod to our large customer base in the Bruneian Chinese community for supporting Concepts Computer through-out the years and to wish them a great and prosperous Chinese New Year for 2016.”

For more information regarding the “2 is Better than 1” promo or any other enquiries regarding Concepts Computer and their range of products, please call 2233551, 2233552 or 2233553, or visit your nearest Concepts Computer retail outlet.

Vacancies at Concepts Computer – Office Assistant, Sales Assistant and Service Co-ordinator

Malaysia’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Mah Siew Keong (3rd R) presents the ASEAN Green Award 2015 to BruWILD President Liaw Lin Ji (3rd L) in Kuala Lumpur recently. Image courtesy of Bernama.

This is something I wasn’t aware of or perhaps it’s my level of ignorance to be blamed for. Apparently the local media has highlighted the existence of BruWILD. BruWILD is a registered non-government organisation, formed by a group of trained biologists and conservationists. They dedicate their time and efforts to discovering, investigating, and learning nature’s wonders. Yes, I have heard of other NGOs in Brunei but not so much on BruWILD.

Recently, Liaw Lin Ji the founder of BruWILD, participated in the ASEAN Green Award 2015 and her project won the award. Read more what Bernama wrote in the article a few days ago. Congratulations, Liaw Lin Ji.

From Bernama. Bruneian Liaw Lin Ji, 27, the founder and President of Biodiversity and Natural History Society (BruWILD) was announced the winner of the ASEAN Green Award 2015 which came with USD5,000 ($7,044) cash.

Liaw beat nine other young green technopreneurs and young contributors for the Green Growth Development in the ASEAN region.
BruWILD, promotes the preservation of the natural beauty of Brunei, besides building a sustainable future has more than 20 trained biologist and conservationist working together in educating the public to advocate the importance and functionalities of the ecosystem in their daily lives, she told Bernama after receiving the award.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Mah Siew Keong presented the awards.

Liaw, a biologist set up BruWILD in August 2013, and has been providing educational support to local schools, institutions, nature groups and wildlife enthusiasts.

Chanamon Leknamnarong, the manager of Earth Home Thailand won second place and USD3,000 (3rd from right) and Malaysia’s Dr Sumathi Sethupathi who won USD2,000 came third place (3rd from left)

Local graduate in Biological Sciences at the university, Lin Ji Liaw, explaining the research on the intriguing relationship between insectivorous bats and carnivorous pitcher plants. This image was taken earlier in July when she was being interviewed by Borneo Bulletin’s reporter Azaraimy.

Meanwhile, Chanamon Leknamnarong, the manager of Earth Home Thailand won second place and USD3,000  for promoting ecotourism in her village in Chiangmai.

Through the family’s homestay Maejo Earth Home, Leknamnarong, 29, promotes natural resources construction materials, sustainable living, organic farming to the local community and tourists.

Third place was won by Malaysia’s Dr Sumathi Sethupathi who won USD2,000 for her research in converting solid waste from the fishing industry, such as shrimp, cockle and crab shells to value added products used to remove oily residue in the wastewater generated by the palm oil industry.

Sumathi, 37, who is assistant professor at University of Tunku Abdul Rahman, is now moving on to research on solution for air and noise pollution.

The award, launched in 2011 by the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) and the ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET), was to recognise outstanding technopreneurs and contributors to green growth development under the age of 40.

Finally after a month of showing my support for #movember, I had a clean shave yesterday. It should be back in 2 weeks’ time 😀

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer and his spouse Alice Chan and family members with the management of Concepts Computer

16 years have gone by so fast. And yes, this is slightly late post for my blog. Concepts Computer Sdn Bhd celebrated their 16th year anniversary two weeks ago and it was held at the Brilliance Hall at Concepts Computer premise.

There was a welcoming remark Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer and he was ecstatic with the company’s achievement in the past few months. Perhaps the biggest milestone for the company was the official appointment as the first local distributor for Microsoft for SMB and Consumer Sector. They have also achieved great success for Acer (Top Achiever Award), Epson (High Achiever Award for Retail Business Development) and Concepts was also appointed the authorised Service Provider for Brother International Products.

The company also feted long serving staffs who have worked for a very long time in the organisation. There are Dk Amallizawati for her 8 years of service; Zul Abdul Rahman for his 10 years; Azoani and Misinah for 13 years; Azalinah for 14 years; Ani Suryani for 15 years and lastly, Sumarddy Eddy for 16 years.

The media was also invited to celebrate the occasion and Vincent also dedicated a special lucky draw for the members of the media. The night was full of celebrations with performances, lucky draw and mini games as part of their entertainment.

I wish Vincent Pao and his team a brighter success in the coming future. Keep up the great work 😀 Oh yea, I won myself an Acer phone *Woohoo*

Sumarddy Eddy for 16 years of service with Concepts Computer

Misinah for 13 years of service with Concepts Computer

Azalinah for 14 years of service with Concepts Computer

Dk Amallizawati for 8 years of service with Concepts Computer

Zul Abdul Rahman for 10 years of service with Concepts Computer

A long service staff of Vincent Pao’s being recognised as well

The special lucky draw for the media

Peter winning an Acer projector and Azlan winning a notebook for the special lucky draw for the media

Ak Fairol content with his lucky draw prize

Vincent Pao giving his welcoming remarks

Some in-house performances from the staff

Mini games

The top three lucky draw winners during the dinner

BIBD today announced new partners into the 2015 BIBD CE ALAF (Charity Expedition for Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future Programme). Fajr Capital (Dubai) and Silverlake (Malaysia) has come on board as Platinum Sponsors to the ALAF Programme, while Kristal FM and Radio Television Brunei have signed on as the Official Broadcaster Radio and Official Broadcaster Television partners to help raise awareness on CE ALAF as well as other efforts related to the event.

BIBD also welcomes new partners, Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd (PCSB) who has agreed to contribute a one year subscription plan and a Vivo Y22 as a lucky draw prize, along with a co-branded runner t-shirts for the first one hundred participants who have raised at least B$100. At the same time, PCSB will also be providing support via providing volunteers for the ALAF event.

Happening this Sunday. Are you ready?

The Brunei Neuroscience Stroke Rehabilitation Centre (BNSRC) together with the Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) are also on board as sound supporters of the programme whereby they will also be organizing the a Musical Broadway titled ‘Sebuah Perjalanan’ as part of the stroke and cancer patients’ Therapeutic Group Activity. Proceeds from tickets sales will be donated to the BIBD ALAF Program.

Meanwhile, as the Official Airline Partner, RB (Royal Brunei) will be providing a business class return ticket to Melbourne and Bangkok each for winners of the 21kM and 10km, Men and Women Bruneian category. BIBD also welcomes support from government agencies such as the Department of Electrical Services along with the Customs & Excise Department towards the Charity Expedition.

Yang Mulia Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Ja’afar, in her capacity as Head of BIBD’s Corporate Social Responsibility commented “Alhamdulillah for the overwhelming support gained for not just the charity expedition, but also the ALAF programme. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved, from all partners, volunteers and supporters for their kind support for the programme.

This is it!!! I’m looking forward to this but I’m not too sure if I have the time just yet. It’s happening this coming Saturday. This is a FREE workshop (Adult Colouring Workshop) for customers who purchase “LOST OCEAN” colouring book from any Best Eastern store in Brunei.

The seats are limited so it’s a good idea to register. The workshop will be conducted by full-time artists at Jo-Art Gallery – Nabil, Fikri and Haronli.

This will be the first time a colouring workshop will be held. It will be a comprehensive workshop ranging from the materials of the colour pencil to the techniques of colouring (shading, rendering, colour scheme, blending and even discipline.

The venue will be at Mabohai Shopping Complex this Saturday 24th October and it’s co-organised by Best Eastern and Jo-Art Gallery.

Oh one more thing, don’t forget that there will be another colouring competition for adults on 1st November. Sadly I won’t be in the country then. Let’s hope for more participants in the second round. Good luck!!

Acer Aspire V Nitro. Another end to end stuff from Concepts Computer who are one of the biggest vendors at the TechXpo 2015 happening today at the ICC until this coming Sunday.

There will be having many good promotions and firstly is the Aspire V Nitro notebooks. There are two specs of the Aspire V Nitro on promotion but the one that caught my eye is the Aspire V Nitro the “17 inch one because it’s fast and it’s quiet too. The attention to detail is just spot on for this version and they have many ports available. Check out the posters below for more details.

When you purchase any of the Aspire V Nitro, it will come with 3 years warranty and especially if you buy now (during the TechXpo,) you can save up to BND 400 and even get FREE gifts worth BND 200.

Acer projector. Now if you are looking for projectors, look no further. The prices now become affordable and it’s the newly improved Acer projector. This is ideal for presentation and also perhaps for your in-house theatre screen.

It carries a 2 year warranty and the lamp also has a 1 year warranty or 1,000 hours whichever comes first. It’s powered with 3,200 ANSI Lumens with HDMI port and dual-VGA. This BND 398 deal is also offered at TechXpo today till Sunday. So look out for the Acer P1185 or just check the poster below for more details.

Epson printers. For all the heavy duty printer users out there especially students and teachers, this is one of the fastest selling brand in Brunei – Epson – because of you all. If you want to talk about efficiency and also cost savings, then target for the Epson printers. These printers have high recommendation even among our peers (my media friends) who are also active users of Epson printers.

Imagine with just four colour ink bottles that you will be able to print up to 6,500 colour pages. Now that’s a plenty and I like the new concept of having the ink cartridge being placed outside the printer so it will be convenient should you want to refill.

It’s no surprise that Epson have sold 2 million units alone in Southeast Asia and Brunei is one of the growing market leader in terms of growth per capita. So do check out their Super Deals at TechXpo today till Sunday.

In collaboration with UnionPay, the fastest growing card brand in the world, Baiduri Bank is currently having a 3-month campaign where Baiduri UnionPay Debit Cardholders will earn freebies and stand a chance to win shopping sprees when they use their cards at participating outlets each weekend till December.

Aptly named “Take me Shopping with Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card”, the promotion which started on 25 September 2015 will run every Friday to Sunday till 13 December 2015. During the promotion, Baiduri UnionPay debit cardholders will receive a free shopping bag when they spend a minimum of B$50 at participating supermarkets during the designated weekends, while stocks last.

The promotion will cover 14 different supermarket outlets, including supermarket chains Hua Ho, Soon Lee, Jaya Hypermart, Supa Save, Sim Kim Huat, Freshco, First Emporium and Utama Grand. Each weekend, a different outlet will be featured so that customers residing in the different districts will have a chance to participate.

Besides receiving shopping bags, shoppers also get a chance to win monthly shopping sprees worth B$150 each at selected supermarket throughout the campaign.

An Instagram competition is also being held back-to-back with the shopping campaign. Customers who post creative photos of themselves with the “Take Me Shopping with Baiduri Union Pay” shopping bag will get a chance to win shopping vouchers worth B$20 each week. Terms and conditions can be viewed on the Baiduri Bank website or through Baiduri Deals mobile app.

The “Take me Shopping with Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card” campaign was organized to create public awareness on the card’s user-friendliness and other benefits of owning a Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card.

Unlike conventional signature-based payment cards, the Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card requires a personalized identification number or PIN to be keyed in by the cardholder for any transactions to be approved, thus, giving cardholders a high level of protection from fraud or misuse of the card. This unique feature also allows cardholders to use the debit card as an ATM card too.

The Baiduri UnionPay Debit card is accepted at over 2,000 local merchants and more than 26 million UnionPay merchants in over 150 countries and allows withdrawals at all Baiduri ATMs, other local ATMs, and over 1.9 million ATMs worldwide.

More information about Baiduri Bank’s current promotions can be obtained from the Bank’s website at www.baiduri.com, ‘Baiduri Deals’ mobile app or their Call Centre at 244 9666. To be in the know of Baiduri Bank current promotions and events, the public can also follow Baiduri Bank Group on Facebook or @baiduribank on Instagram and Twitter.

New vacancies available at Concepts Computer

 

The operation team behind SBI (B) Sdn Bhd – Rafiuddin Ghazali, Vice President, Hariz Shaminan, Associate, Liza Shafiee, Assistant Vice-President and Michelle Chong, Office Administrator

I had an interesting session with the management and associates from SBI (B) Sdn Bhd, a private equity fund manager in Brunei Darussalam and it’s always interesting to know how does a private equity fund manager works in the country. I was aware of a few companies that have similar operations but currently, the active one I’m aware is SBI.

The history of company goes back to 2010 when it started its first Fund. And it’s a jointly ventured between the Ministry of Finance and SBI Holdings Inc, a Japanese leading multinational financial services company. The businesses they eye on and how they invest have to be Syariah-compliant too.

Speaking to Amran Mohamad, the CEO of SBI (B) Sdn Bhd, he shared that the company invests in Brunei as well as in other countries in the Asia Pacific region. He disclosed that they recently successfully sold off two companies profitably. One by IPO listing on the Singapore stock exchange, while the other was a technology company which SBI helped grow by acquisitions to as far as Rio de Janiero.

Rafiuddin Ghazali, Vice President of SBI (B) Sdn Bhd being interviewed and he showed me around the office

To assist with economic diversification, the company has brought in one international company to set up businesses and operations in Brunei Darussalam with a few more planned, due to economic stability, research grants, and a highly educated workforce. Amran highlighted that the company has been closely working with Brunei Economic Development Board in this process. Let’s hope that the international companies are able to successfully operate in the Sultanate as this will be a win-win situation for Brunei and its economy. Amran said that the company is now busy setting up a second Fund and needs to expand its human personnels to help the company manage more investments.

Don’t forget to hand in your application. There is still time.

According to Rafiuddin Ghazali, Vice-President of SBI (B) Sdn Bhd, shared that they have been receiving applicants for the past two weeks and he encouraged those who have a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance or Economics or Engineering or Law (LLB) should apply for the allocated positions. Not to worry as they will be providing training locally and internationally after identifying your weak areas and groom you up so you will gain more knowledge and understand how to be a Private Equity fund manager.

I love the perks because you will have the privilege to travel here and there as part of the job scope. The working hours are also flexible and it’s not like a 9 to 5 job at all. So if you are a Brunei Citizen or Permanent Resident, give this application a shot.

Hariz Shaminan, Associate of SBI (B) Sdn Bhd receiving the application from interested parties during my visit

Those interested can send in their cover letter and detailed resumes with recent passport sized photograph and send to the following address: SBI (B) Sdn Bhd, Unit 1, Level 3, Dar Takaful Utama, Jalan Pemancha, Bandar Seri Begawan, or by email to admin@sbib.com.bn.

 

Congratulations Laneige (Brunei) for your 10th anniversary

Patricia Li (3rd from left) celebrating with their loyal customers and guests during the cake presentation

Congratulations to Patricia Li and her team on the 10th year anniversary of Laneige (Brunei). Wow!! It has been that long, aye? Well done and I’m really inspired by your growth and consistency of your company and able to serve the customers in Brunei Darussalam. Cosmetic is definitely a competitive market worldwide and the same goes to Brunei Darussalam. Of course, with a very competent and established brand, many Bruneians and the public trust Laneige’s products. For the record, Laneige has been around for 20 years.

Two Sunday ago, Laneige (Brunei) invited guests and also in attendance were the spouses of Diplomatic Corps and loyal customers. They were treated to goodie bags.

The welcoming remarks were made by General Manager of Laneige Brunei, Patricia Li, the lady behind the success of Laneige in Brunei. She’s very grateful to all the customers and the people that have crossed path with her and thanks them for believing in the international brand. Pat Li is not just the iconic figure of the brand for Brunei but she carries the passion on what she believes in and also focuses on customer service to give the best experience for their customers.

Laneige (Brunei) also had a special gimmick for all the attendees as they were treated to special discounts up to 20% depending on their purchases and for those big spenders, they will walk away with a Laneige luggage. There was also tutorial make up-artist from Laneige Malaysia Cameillia Choo. For your information, Laneige was founded in 1994 in South Korea, and devoted itself to the business of beauty and health as it strives to be the first and the best with outstanding products and superior marketing.

Keep up the great work, Patricia and your team and happy anniversary.

Cameillia Choo, Laneige Malaysia, Patricia Li, General Manager of Laneige Brunei and Sylvia, a loyal customer of Laneige

 

Vincent Pao with the invited guests this morning at the launch of the CONCEPTS group of companies and also the Brilliance Hall

Cutting ribbon ceremony

A new milestone for Concepts Computer. They have really come a long way. If Acer comes to mind, then the first word that will put out is Concepts Computer. this morning they have reach higher points after being in the Brunei market for 15 years. Now Concepts Computer not only hold the Acer brand but a few more other brands to cater to the ever growing demands from the consumers.

Now Concepts Computer holds brands such as Acer, Epson, Brother, Logitech, Steel Series and many more. Furthermore, Concepts Computer has turned into a subsidiary under the flagship of CONCEPTS group. This means that there are other subsidiaries under the CONCEPT group 1) Concepts Computer 2) Concepts Technologies 3) Concepts Sewing Technologies 4) Ontime Services Network.

If you want to talk about growth, then Mr. Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer has laid down a strong seed and this will indeed reflect the strength and value of the company over the past few years.

The launching of the Group of Companies by Mr. Pao came in timely manner and he believes that the “soul cannot think without an image” (a famous quote by Aristotle). With this merger, it will help to boost the excellent track record the company has earning and I believe they are one of the IT retailers that has 90% locally employed. The Group of Companies is a good role model for other companies in terms of utilizing the locals.

Congratulations on the launch and I wish you all the best. Image courtesy of Vincent Hong.

The man of the moment – Vincent Pao

Nasiruddin Awang Hamid the winner of the Tefal Healthy Cooking Competition last evening. Image courtesy of Chatterads Advertising.

Second place went to Raymond Yong Shun Xin. Image courtesy of Chatterads Advertising.

Cim King Kong came third in the cooking competition. Image courtesy of Chatterads Advertising.

The month-long Health Awareness Campaign at Hua Ho Manggis Mall ended yesterday with the finals of the Tefal Healthy Cooking Competition.

The campaign was a collaboration between Hua Ho Shopping Centre and the Health Promotion Centre, Ministry of Health.

Nasiruddin Awang Hamid emerged as the winner, taking home a Tefal voucher worth $500, while Raymond Yong Shun Xin placed second and was presented with a $300 Tefal voucher. Coming in in third place was Cim King Kong who won himself a $150 Tefal Voucher.

Not only that, the top three winners of the HPC quiz also received prizes in the form of Air Fryer, electric steamer and a juicer.

The prize presentation marked the end of campaign which began on August 26. Various activities, games and exhibitions were also carried out as part of the campaign which was organised to highlight the importance and benefit of a healthier lifestyle to members of the general public.

Hj Zakaria Hj Kamis, the head of Public Health Nutrition Unit at Health Promotion Centre, stated that the campaign has received a very positive respond from the public.

“The idea of putting together a series of fun and engaging activities is an effective way to get the health messages across, ” he said, as he expressed gratitude towards the cooperation received from various partners and stakeholders. Text by Adib Noor of The Brunei Times.

During the qualifying round last Saturday

He had the best presentation among the lot but perhaps it was the portion that could have affected his scores

I like this presentation

Sometimes less is more 😀

I love his spicy salad

Some of the participants last Saturday

The final batch of participants last Saturday

A young participant trying to woo the judges

Chef Salvo was a busy man

An enthusiastic participant. I like his energy.

Behind the scene at the kitchen area of Hua Ho Manggis

 

The LegCo is coming. Mobile wars are heating up while AITI makes sure it’s a win-win situation for consumers! New rates of TelBru’s broadband testing the new waters. Another run (Tongkat Puith) happening this weekend. DPMM FC and also Brunei National Team will take sports headlines for the S•League and Brunei’s qualifying match against Taiwan. The Area K6 Contest to select the best toastmasters speaker from Brunei this Sunday. Poppins the Musical by Relentless Entertainment end of March. The upcoming International School Brunei (ISB) Borneo Global Issues Conference (BGIC) And of course, my pending stories to be posted on my blog. March, indeed, has become a busier month than I anticipated.

I’m still not sure if I will be flying to Singapore this month. But I definitely have two places to visit – Kuching and Labuan. Singapore will be in my pending list of destination for March. Then again, I will be heading to Lion City in April for Russell Peters’ gig. Will he impressed like before? My previous take of him in Notorious gig in Singapore was just okay. It’s never easy to be funny because it needs a lot of spontaneous creativity. I also have been attending Zainal Bostaman’s Bruhaha workshop, a local comedy workshop, that hopes to aspire that comedy is a social art and it can be learnt and practice. The workshops have been fruitful and last Sunday we saw a new batch of attendees and this shows that there are people out there who want to learn to be a “comic”. Good job, Zainal, and you have my support!

Zainal Bostaman, founder of Bruhaha Comedy, having his 2nd Bruhaha Comedy Workshop last Sunday

After missing out last year, ISB is back with their BGIC this weekend. I have always love how they run their show every year. This year there will 23 local schools participating and ISB had conducted two days of training by having simulation for the local students to be familiar with the conference. This concept is similar like the United Nations conference where representatives from each country will raise points, concerning issues faced by different countries and how they will come into a consensual solutions and agreements. This is a great platform for students to show their leadership skills. This year, the conference will be run by five experienced students, serving as the Secretaries-General; namely Dean Benavidez, Ha Kyeong Kim, Adam Busko, Marianne Laming, and Beatrice Horas. The main speakers for BGIC are Professor Dr. David Koh, Chair of Occupational Health and Medicine, PAP Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah, Institute of Health Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam and Ms. Tara Yip-Bannicq, Programme Officer (Social Protection)/Resilience Focal Point, UNICEF Haiti.

The recent training session held at ISB

I shall be busy this week as I will be fine tuning, my script for my speech for the upcoming Area K6 Contest which will take place this Sunday. Basically this is a toastmasters competition among Brunei local clubs – four of them (OTTERS, Brunei Speakers’ Club, Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club and UBD Toastmasters Club). I did an OK job during the International Speech category but flunk in Table Topics as I went off topic talking about relationships and ports *lol* I have definitely improved as a speaker when I looked back at my Humuorous Speech Contest last year. Now I have been given a luck of entering Area level despite finishing 3rd.

Competition will be tougher this time with the likes of Melati Yusof, Reuben Chin and Pranika Lama. They are just hot favourites for me after listening to their speeches last week though I missed Mel’s and I was already impressed with her CC speeches during OTTERS meeting. Seasoned speakers including the likes of Chris Woo, Stuart Lee and Allen Ang have been playing the mentor roles in helping the contestants to reach their goals. So peeps, the time is real soon and it’s happening this Sunday at Multipurpose Hall, UBD at 1:30pm. Entry fee will be at $5 and you will witness all the awesome speakers from the local toastmasters club. The winner of each category – International Speech and Table Topics will represent in Division K Level in Labuan by end of March.

I finished 3rd in Brunei Speakers’ Club International Speech Contest. I am given another opportunity to represent Area Level to compete against the other winners in other clubs.

Relief to all the contestants after delivering their speeches

The heat is on!! Good luck to all contestants

SMARTER Brunei has located a new centre. Yes, it will be one time huge investment of BND 150,000 but it will be more cost effective in a long run. It was nice to see corporate companies and government bodies helping SMARTER for a good cause in helping building new classrooms for autistic students in Brunei. The President of SMARTER Brunei Malai Hj Abdullah shared that the SMARTER branch in Sengkurong will be relocated to Kg Mata-Mata once the renovation is completed (hopefully by May). With the new look and feel, SMARTER Brunei will be able to accommodate more students than before and reach the capacity of 140 students (morning and afternoon session). The private NGO has been struggling financially to cope with paying the teachers but Malai is always grateful that the teachers are tolerable and understanding of the current situation.

So far the classrooms have been sponsored by Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (five classrooms), D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd, Kingston Creamery and Beverage together with the LKY Charity for Autism, DST Communications Sdn Bhd and an anonymous donour. LSL Metal Sdn Bhd will be constructing work on the said centre. Malai Hj Abdullah said he is still open for donors for new establishment and it will also help to pay for the operating costs of running SMARTER Brunei. It’s never easy to run an NGO and this story of financial troubles has become a common issue in the media. I salute to Malai for his perseverance and dedication to make SMARTER Brunei a sustainable institution for the benefit of students.

Malcolm Lim, Managing Director of Kingston Creamery and Beverage, Malai Hj Abdullah, President of SMARTER Brunei, Low Ser Yew, Managing Director of LSL Metal Sdn Bhd and H Mohd Noor Hj Salleh, D’Sunlit’s Public Relation Officer during the signing ceremony of sponsorship for the new centre. Awesome!!

Did you know that SMARTER has a small bakery? They have been doing some business for quite some time and in this picture, Malai’s son was helping out with making chocolate cookies

Just like my IOS, it needs to be updated to keep up with technology. Same goes for anti-viruses for computers. Today Concepts Computer unveiled PANDA Anti-Virus Pro 2015, PANDA Security 2015 and PANDA Global Protection 2015. Each has its specific functions. PANDA Anti-Virus Pro 2015 will give you a peace of mind from viruses, spy wares and online fraud, for instance. It will be available for $18 a year for 1 PC license. For the PANDA Security 2015, this is ideal if you are regular usage of the internet especially buying things online. This is available for $28 a year per 1 PC license. If go for the PANDA Global Protection 2015, it covers all the aspect given plus the option of improved Parental Control and also encrypt private folders. It’s available for $38 a year per 1 PC license. Also Concepts Computer will be participating in the Book Fair 2015 at the Indoor Stadium, please visit our booths for other great promotions. And for more information please call 2233551, 2233552 or 2233553 or visit your nearest Concepts Computer showroom.

Recently also Concepts Computer celebrated the Year of the Goat with an open house for members of the media and invited guests. Present were Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer and Alice Chan who greeted the invited guests. The event started with the traditional Chinese Yee Sang for a prosperous new year. Thank you once again to Vincent and Concepts Computer for continuously giving the best product and services to the consumer.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with Alice Chan and members of the media at Concepts Computer Chinese New Year Open House

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with Alice Chan and members of the media at Concepts Computer Chinese New Year Open House

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with Alice Chan and members of the media at Concepts Computer Chinese New Year Open House

Unveiling the new PANDA softwares at Concepts Computer

Ever heard of the Shell Eco-Marathon? This is an annual event where Brunei Darussalam has been participating in the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia. This year four teams participated represented by 20 young students recently in Luneta Park, Manila, the Philippines. How did Brunei go? The hurdle most participants always face is to make the cut for the final race. GenNext Pejuang from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) had two successful official runs by the weekend. GenNext Pejuang’s female driver, Dide Nurulaswani binti Haji Mohd Saidi, a 21 year old Bachelor of Science student majoring in Biology at UBD，described today’s achievement for the Brunei contingent, “Today, we had our third race attempt in the morning and successfully completed the full 10 laps in 27 mins. We then completed the fourth attempt, at 28 mins with more efficiency. So, we are very happy and relieved!”

Didie added that it has been a tough journey for everyone, “The most challenging moment for me was during practice runs. It’s been a while since I’ve driven Nakhoda, and it has been shipped (around) over the last couple of months. So, there was a lot of pressure on me. Thanks to my team, friends, supporting staff and volunteers as well as our Team Ambassador, who supported and motivated me, I got over it and here we are. After SEMA, I feel that I’ve grown to become a more responsible person, more dependable, and as someone people can trust.”

Well done to team Brunei for the efforts in the Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM) Asia competition. The most important part is the experience factor and being in a team and I believe all of them had a blast in Manila. The head of Delegation was Pg Hj Sofhrin Pg Hj Ibrahim from Pusat Latihan Mekanik (PLM), who was also a supervisor for one of the teams. Funny thing was I was also in the Philippines during that time but for a FitFlop invitational event.

Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Dr Hjh Anita Binurul Zahrina Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Hj Awg Abdul Aziz presented the Brunei Flag to Head of Delegation Pg Hj Sofhrin Pg Hj Ibrahim from Pusat Latihan Mekanik (PLM), who is also a supervisor for one of the teams

Group photo before departure

GenNext Pejuang from UBD

 

Foo Boon Seng, founder of MARS Enterprise, saying a few words to the media of the new collaboration last week. Image courtesy of Concepts Computer.

One is competent in software (MARS Enterprise) and the other is competent in hardware (Concepts Computer). When both combined, then it is a win-win situation. Last Friday, Concepts Computer and MARS Enterprise signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop software products targeting the SMEs.

If you have a problem in your business in terms of finance and stock taking, MARS Enterprise has a successful business software that has been proven successful internationally. MARS Finance System has a unique feature of multi-dimensional chart of account allowing any start-up company, small and medium enterprise to grow using the same system all along with options of upgrade, update, or plug-in of additional modules, whichever is suitable for their business needs.

Now they have partnered with an IT giant in Brunei, Concepts Computer and this will help to attribute to the national IT Development.

Signing the agreement was Foo Boon Seng, founder of MARS Enterprise and Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer.

Recently AITI had a special subsidy for SMEs where they can purchase the software from MARS Enterprise with a subsidy up to 80%. The application for the subsidy has already ended last week and this shows that our local product is quite commendable to SMEs in Brunei.

I believe the synergy between both companies will be fruitful and beneficial to our economy and our end users.

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer exchanging document with Foo Boon Seng